Music in Dhi Qar

Another joy from our trip to Dhi Qar Province was the local music! We were entertained twice by a group of Iraqi musicians. They were all male, and the group must have had 8-9 men playing. We were familiar with some of the instruments...electric keyboard, violins, tambourines and drums of various types. Others were more exotic....a strange dulcimer-like instrument and a very small metallic drum.

There was a man playing something like a penny-whistle. It appeared to be made from white PVC pipe, maybe 20" long. He also played one made from a cane or reed type plant (which is abundant in this area). There were 3 drummers....playing tambourine, and drums typical of the Middle East and Africa.

However, one drum stood out from the rest. It was a very small drum, and at first I couldn't figure out what it was. The gentleman playing it had a black leather belt around the bottom of his ribcage. That leather belt held a small metallic drum that was placed sort of under his left arm, just about under his left elbow. The drum itself appeared as a metal cylinder....you could almost say it was the size and shape of a soft drink can. The "bottom" end of it pointed forward, and that's the end that the drummer "played". I couldn't see how long this metal cylinder was.

He played it with the tips of his fingers, while playing another drum placed between his knees with his hands...he just moved from the bigger drums to this small, metal drum....back and forth.

The sound of the small drum was very metallic, almost "tinny"....and loud!! He'd start playing on the small drum and it sounded like a machine gun off in the distance!! I can't imagine that his fingers didn't hurt from the impact of playing!! He was really whacking that drum!!! I found all of the music pleasing to the ear, with the exception of this little metal drum.

The music was outstanding!! We were all asking to purchase a CD of the music, but they had none! I guess there's an opportunity for some economic development!!!

Later in the day, they entertained us again. During one of their numbers, a singer entertained us. Of course the song was in Arabic, and I don't have an idea of what was said, but it was very pleasant.

Again, it was great to see this expression of artistic talent in Iraq. So often we see only the big T-walls, poverty, litter, drought, etc. etc. This was a welcomed adventure into the hidden Iraq!